Bougainvilleas

Flowers On The Wall

Like yesterday, this is mostly a direct painting without a preliminary drawing. I did put in a few lines to designate the chimney as well as the general location of the flowers. But it was just that, a few lines, nothing to tell me where every petal or leaf was. I find that this approach works best for me when trying to do an array of flowers like this. You want the mind to fill in the blanks, giving the viewer just enough information to get the idea of the flowers you’re painting.

Bougainvilleas grown in wild abandon in San Miguel and all of Mexico for as far as I can tell. They are in great profusion during the rainy season, and I find their brilliance almost unimaginable against the bright blue sky. It truly is azur, no other word for it, and certainly not the kind of blue I ever see in the north. The light that makes these colors possible is indescribable.

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About this blog

Stefanie Graves

Like the “happy accidents” of watercolor that occur as a consequence of some unexpected happening in the painting process, these writings are meant to explore the serendipitous effects of my artistic journey. Sometimes it’s just a blot of water….sometimes it leads to an improved painting, richer for the happening.